


Canadian Thanksgiving

by ami_ven



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, Getting Together, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 06:37:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3559841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A call from Jeannie inadvertently leads John to a surprising ephiphany.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Canadian Thanksgiving

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "mcsheplets" prompt #064 "epiphany"

“Incoming wormhole,” said Chuck, as John entered the Control Room. “Earth’s IDC, sir. Receiving the data-burst.”

“Right on time,” said John. “You’ll see that everything gets where it’s supposed to go, sergeant?”

“As usual, sir. And, sir? There’s a video transmission coming through, live feed, marked for Dr. McKay.”

“Get McKay up here,” said John. “And put the video through.”

The monitor lit up with the expedition logo, which was quickly replaced by the image of a smiling woman. “ _John, hi!_ ”

“Jeannie,” he said, smiling back. “Is everything okay?”

“ _What? Oh, everything is fine. Sam asked for my help with some Asgard tech she’s working on, and since I’m here at the SGC, I thought I’d take the opportunity for about thirty-eight minutes of talking to my brother._ ”

“He’s on his way up,” said John. “So why don’t we start with all the petty social questions he’ll forget to ask— how’s Kaleb?”

Jeannie laughed. “ _He’s good. The university asked him to edit a book of student poetry, so he’s been pretty busy._ ”

“Hey, good for him,” said John. “You’ll send us a copy, when it’s published? Actually, you should send _Teyla_ a copy, she’ll actually read it. No offense to Kaleb, of course”

“ _That’s probably true_ ,” Jeannie agreed. “ _And none taken. Oh! And, John, since I’ve got you here, I might as well ask… you and Mer both have some vacation, or leave, or whatever, right?_ ”

“He gets vacation, I get leave. But, yeah, we should each have a couple of weeks. Why?”

“ _Thanksgiving_ ,” she said. “Canadian _Thanksgiving. There’s an e-mail in the data-burst with a real invitation, dates and times and all that, but I thought I’d ask now. It’s not for a while, but you’ll need time to get here from another galaxy and I’ll need time to clean the guest room._ ”

John smiled. “Unless there’s an emergency here, we’ll be there.”

“We’ll be where?” asked Rodney, coming up beside him.

“Your sister’s,” said John. “For Thanksgiving.”

“What?” said Rodney. “Is there going to be actual turkey this year? Because I don’t—”

“ _Hello, Mer, how are you?_ ” Jeannie said, and he spluttered through a greeting.

John let the noise wash over him, mentally reviewing the upcoming leave schedule. Several people were planning to go back to Earth for the American Thanksgiving holiday, but there were fewer Canadians in Atlantis, so he and Rodney should be able to—

John sat down, hard, on the edge of a console.

“Sheppard?” asked Rodney, breaking off mid-sentence to put a questioning hand on his arm. “Are you okay?”

“What? I’m fine, I just—” _realized I’m in love with you_ “—wasn’t paying attention. Sorry, Jeannie.”

“ _That’s all right, John_ ,” she said, with a look that was far too knowing for his comfort. “ _I’m almost out of time, anyway. I’ll see you both at Thanksgiving— and Ronon and Teyla and her family, if they can make it._

“They probably can,” said Rodney, eyeing John suspiciously. “They’re both cleared for leaving the SGC once we get there, and they’d just be on down-time here, anyway, with me and Sheppard both on Earth.”

“ _Great!_ ” said Jeannie. “ _Bye, Mer, bye, John. Love you!_ ”

The screen went blank, and Rodney whirled on John, “Out with it, Sheppard.”

John glanced sideways at Chuck, who said, “Oh, look at that, it’s time for my break. Sirs?” and left.

“Sheppard?” Rodney repeated.

John sighed. “Your sister expects me to come to her house for Canadian Thanksgiving.”

“Of course she does,” said Rodney, slowly, like John was being stupid. “You knew she would. This morning at breakfast, you asked me if it was Canadian law that everything at Canadian Thanksgiving dinner had to be made with maple syrup.”

“No,” said John. “I mean, yes, I knew Jeannie would invite me. But she didn’t. She assumed that if we could get leave, we’d both come.”

“Well, you have gone for the last three years. It’s reasonable for her to assume you’ll go this year, too.”

“No,” said John. “I mean, Jeannie assumed that if you were going, then I was going, too. She asked me if we’d be able to get the time off before you came in, like we were…”

He gestured vaguely, and Rodney flushed.

“Oh,” he said. “I don’t think she really _assumed_ anything, Sheppard. I don’t think you gave her any reason to believe—”

“Or maybe Jeannie’s just smarter than I am,” John interrupted. “Maybe she just figured it out before I did.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Rodney said again. “Sheppard— _John_ — are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

There was hope in his voice, beneath the trepidation, and John grinned. 

“Meredith Rodney McKay, will you be my date to your sister’s Canadian Thanksgiving dinner?”

Rodney snorted a laugh, but he was grinning, too. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

THE END


End file.
